1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an indicator apparatus used to detect when an animal is in estrus (heat), and more particularly, to such an indicator wherein the indicator is adapted to be worn by a first animal for indicating when the first animal is mounted by a second animal and, thereby, when the first animal is in heat. The invention further relates to an apparatus for providing a plurality of indicators that may be individually sized to suit specific needs. Also disclosed is a system for herd management using the indicator apparatus as disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is typically desirable in the field of animal husbandry to selectively breed livestock. This may be done by mating selected animals, artificially inseminating an animal, or any other suitable method. However, any method used entails determining when the animal is in heat in order for insemination to fertilize the animal. The heat cycle is of a short duration and insemination must occur during the cycle. The accurate detection of estrus is a problem long recognized in the prior art.
Typically, when an animal, for example, a cow, is not in heat, she will not allow herself to be mounted. Conversely, when a cow is in heat, the cow will show an increased tendency to stand and permit itself to be mounted by other animals for an appreciable time. When the mounted animal allows the mounting animal to remain for about five seconds, a xe2x80x9cstanding mountxe2x80x9d has occurred and the cow is classified as in standing heat. This condition occurs in the early stages of estrus. The most frequent mountings occur by bulls, but mountings are also made by other cows. Accordingly, the repeated mounting of a cow by any other such animal is a good indication that the cow is in heat.
The identification of cows in heat has traditionally been accomplished by observation, the cows seen to allow mounting by other cows being separated from the herd. While visual inspection and observation of a herd may be employed to identify and segregate females in heat, because the heat cycle is of short duration, such visual observation must be conducted at least twice daily and accompanied by immediate segregation of marking of the animals to be inseminated. Visual observation of the herd, which is often widely dispersed, is typically inefficient. Further, if no indicating device is used, unless the herd is maintained under constant visual observation, the heat cycle may go undetected in many animals.
A variety of prior art devices have been developed for indicating when an animal is in heat by showing when the animal has been mounted. Automatic indicators have been used that are attached to the top rear section of the animal between the hip-bone and spine and are set off by other animals mounting the animal in heat. Typically, the indicators rely on the pressure exerted by the chest or brisket of the mounting animal. A common indicator of this type includes a passive apparatus including a reservoir of marker fluid which is compressed by the mounting pressure to discharge some or all fluid and thereby mark the mounted animal. Frequently, these devices suffer from incidental seepage of the marker fluid. This can result in an undesirably short shelf-life of the product. Further, the prior art devices involve complicated dye packet devices that are undesirably complex and expensive.
The invention is an indicator apparatus to be worn externally be a first animal for detecting when the first animal is in heat. The apparatus is configured to be secured to the rump portion of the first animal and to indicate when the first animal is mounted by a second animal, thereby indicating when the first animal is in heat. The apparatus provides an indicator layer that is normally obscured by a floodcoat but is exposed upon mounting of the first animal by a second animal.
The invention also includes a system for managing a herd. The system is used to indicate when the animal is in heat, when it has been artificially inseminated, and/or when the animal is pregnant. The system includes applying an indicator to the animal at each stage in the process. That is, an indicator is applied to indicate when the animal is in heat, a second indicator is applied with the animal has been inseminated (lack of floodcoat layer removal will then indicate if the animal is pregnant), and a third indicator may be applied after determining that the animal is pregnant. Any or all of these indicators may be color coded or otherwise marked to indicate, for example, the semen with which the animal was inseminated. Such color coding or marking may be useful in communicating information without requiring knowledge of a particular language.
An indicator is provided that has an indicator layer, a first adhesive layer positioned beneath the bottom surface of the indicator layer, and a floodcoat layer detachably affixed to the top surface of the indicator layer. The non-indicator layer side of the first adhesive layer may optionally be covered by a liner. By exposing the first adhesive layer the indicator may be affixed to the rump portion of the first animal. The floodcoat layer is typically removed by the mounting of the first animal by a second animal. This can be a result either of adhesion of the floodcoat layer to the second animal or frictional wear of the floodcoat layer by the second animal. Removal of the floodcoat layer exposes the indicator layer. Thus, exposure of the indicator layer indicates that the first animal is in heat.
The floodcoat layer is adapted to be removed upon exertion of a preselected pressure. This pressure is selected to coincide with the force applied by the mounting of the first animal by a second animal. By providing that at least a predetermined pressure must be exerted on the indicator in order to remove the floodcoat layer and expose the indicator layer, accidental exposure of the indicator layer caused by pressures that are less than those occurring during an actual mounting, such as those caused by a second animal resting its head on the apparatus, are prevented.
The indicator layer is designed to be viewable from a distance regardless of weather conditions. Thus, an observer may view the indicator layer and note that the floodcoat layer has been removed. The first animal can then be segregated from the herd for insemination. The indicator layer may also be colored to color match a semen marker, such as a straw of semen, marking semen from a particular animal.
Thus, the estrus indicator provides a method for indicating when a first animal is in heat by indicating when the first animal has been mounted by a second animal. The indicator is a reliable, easily observed indicator and is not affected by weather. Further, the indicator is mechanically simple, durable, and inexpensive.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for inexpensively supplying a plurality of estrus indicators wherein the size of the indicator may be chosen to fit specific needs. In that embodiment, the estrus indicators are configured as a single sheet rather than as individual units or pieces. The single sheet may then be cut into pieces of size and/or shape as specifically desired. One option is to provide the sheet of indicators on a roll. The sheet may then be unrolled and cut as desired. The roll is relatively inexpensive and provides a flexible option for the users of the estrus indicators. Further, the roll takes up little space and conveniently stores a plurality of estrus indicators.